Earth to Corzine: Bare bone policies already law

New Jersey law already requires bare-bones insurance policies to be available. And get this, my colleague Michael Symons reports those “Basic and essential” individual-market insurance plans aren’t without mandates — state law requires them to have two dozen features — but they do not guarantee coverage for mammograms, although costs for that test can be offset as a wellness benefit. And talk about hypocrisy: “Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor Loretta Weinberg, who has repeatedly charged that Christie’s proposal would jeopardize mammogram coverage by not maintaining that mandate, was among the co-sponsors of the 2002 law requiring basic policies. Now a state senator, Weinberg at the time was in the Assembly.” Furthermore, when interviewed about the law she co-sponsored she said she was unfamiliar with the details of the basic policies. But that didn’t stop her and Corzine from trying to scare women away from Republican Chris Christie. Republicans say the basic policies — available in New Jersey for six years — isn’t what Christie is recommending. Christie says his proposal to permit insurance companies to offer mandate-free policies is a way to provide a lower-cost option, particularly to young or single consumers who might not want the state’s mandates, almost 50 mandates currently, which drive up the cost of policies. A single man in his 20s might not want to pay for mammograms, for instance. That was the same rationale given for the law signed in 2002, the one Weinberg sponsored but can’t recall.

And get this, Symons reports “Only about one-third of New Jerseyans with health insurance are covered by the mandates, regardless. That’s right, two-thirds of New Jerseyans are not affected by the mandates Corzine crows about. Plans overseen by the federal government or offered by companies that self-insure don’t have to comply.” Why hasn’t Corzine/Weinberg pointed that out? To read Symons’ full story, click here.

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About Bob Ingle

Bob Ingle is Senior Political Columnist for Gannett New Jersey newspapers and co-author of The New York Times' Best Seller, "The Soprano State: New Jersey's Culture of Corruption" and "Chris Christie: The Inside Story Of His Rise To Power". He has won numerous journalism awards and is often a news analyst on radio and television. Twitter @ bobingle99.

7 Responses to Earth to Corzine: Bare bone policies already law

Male or female if you are a politician in NJ you are a pig. If you are a democrat politician you are a pig that lies. A pig that will say anything. How can they get away with such prevarication? Look no further than a main stream media that is so partisan they believe lying is better than doing their job. An ignorant electorate, politicians who are pigs and a fourth estate that has abdicated their responsibility and are now as corrupt as the politicians. At least the black ministers sold their integrity and their flocks for silver, the lemmings of the msm have sold theirs for something far less.

Has Weinberg so quickly forgotten her own problems with false breast cancer care accusations?

“”All she cared about is the Jewish women of Bergen County. Well, damn it, we’ve got African-American and Latino women here in Newark, New Jersey, in the county of Essex, that are dying every day.”

With these words, Yvette Abdullah, an aide to Newark Councilwoman Gayle Chaneyfield-Jenkins, exploited a Jewish state assemblywoman’s heritage to divert attention from her boss’s shenanigans in wresting a $10,000 grant from a major New Jersey medical university for a breast-cancer support group that was not legally entitled to the grant.”

Christie has explained this repeatedly, yet Corzine/Weinberg keep hammering away with their political twists and lies. What folly: Weinberg actually sponsored the legislation that allows for no-frills coverage (which SHOULD be offered so people can get affordable coverage.)

Then there’s Corzine hitting Christie on ETHICAL issues!!! This from the man who threw away a 33-year marriage to have an affair with the president of the largest state-employess’ union to launch his political career. (Mind you, he uses OUR $$ to pay for benefits he gives the union in exchange for votes!). He gives this woman, Carla Katz, some $6 million, then pays off her brother-in-law so he won’t squawk. Now we hear NJ has to pay Goldman Sachs (Corzine’s former boss) $1 million a month because of a risky financial deal…and paid big bucks to influential urban ministers — again, to buy votes so he can turn around and tax us more for the benefits he gives out to city residents.

AND HE HAS THE NERVE to attack Christie on traffic violations and a $40K loan.

Anyone who believes he isn’t behind the Christie-weight issue is a fool.

why should bozo and the old hag have to point this out, this should be pointed out daily by christie yet he continues to run an awful campaign ….didnt think anyone could show less fight than john mccain, but it looks like i was wrong , christie is a bigger dud than mccain

Joe Ferriero, Michael Madonna, Joe Doria, Carla Katz, Rocco Riccio, Jeannie Fox, why oh why are the Christie and Daggett campaigns not all over who Corzine associates with? If you judge people by who they associate with then it shows what a loser the Governor is.

Wow a surprise that our legislators forgot what they voted on. I have been maternity overnight stay or 48 stay after birth. ITs been brought up for 13 legislative sessions with no movement by the Democratic majority. Never voted into the law, but Christie, yes, he is the evil person for the bare bones policy.

So where are all the Dems in the legislature worrying about women giving birth? Why no where to be found. They all disappeared. Oh I know the reason why, they were not paid off to approve the legislation. No money for campaigns, no law is passed.

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Bob Ingle, Senior Political Columnist for Gannett New Jersey newspapers, on politics in "The Soprano State".

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Bob IngleBob Ingle is Senior Political Columnist for Gannett New Jersey Newspapers and co-author of The New York Times' Best Seller, "The Soprano State: New Jersey's Culture of Corruption." Hear him Fridays at 5 p.m. on www.tommygshow.com radio. twitter.com/bobingle99 E-mail Bob

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"The Soprano State," written by Bob Ingle and Sandy McClure, details the you-couldn't-make-this-up true story of the corruption that has pervaded New Jersey politics, government, and business for the past thirty years. From Jimmy Hoffa purportedly being buried somewhere beneath the end zone in Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands, through allegations of a thoroughly corrupt medical and dental university, through Mafia influence at all levels, to a governor who suddenly declares himself a “gay American” and resigns, the Garden State might indeed be better named after the HBO mobsters.

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